Banu Sulaiman serves up a winner

Richard Sherman (Star News Group) and New Business Award winner Hamida Banu Saluimah from Classic Grillz. Picture: THREE HEARTS PHOTOGRAPHY/JULIE HEDGES

By Marcus Uhe

New Business Award

Award sponsors: Dandenong Star Journal

Won by: Classic Grillz

Nominees: TBS Air & Energy

From little things, big things grow.

Hamida Banu Sulaiman entered the hospitality industry as a home caterer in 2017.

Encouraged by friends and family to enter the hospitality field, Hamida provided catering at a ball event for 500 people, depsite little exposure to the industry.

Now, her restaurant Classic Grillz in Lonsdale Street Dandenong has won the New Business Award in the 2021 Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce Business Awards on Thursday 2 December.

The business opened late last year and she credited her loyal customers who warmed to her “good quality home food” for surviving the Covid period.

Hamida studied nutrition and dietetics and loves providing for her family, who gave her the impetus to try her hand at hospitality.

The award recognises a business within any industry and of any size who commenced trading from 1 January 2018 onwards.

The takeaway shop offers modern Australian cuisine as well as biryani wraps, noodle dishes, curries, stir-fries and fried rice.